Wave-motor.



B.H. PELTON.

WAVE MOOH,

APPLICATION FILED am. ze. isi.

Mmmm 'HIM l@ U'Nrrnn sTATEs Parana" ernten,

BENJAMIN H. PELTON, OF SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA, ASSGNOR T0 B. H. PELTON, JR.,

' I 0F CASPER, WYOMING.

WAVE-MOTOR.

Application filed March 26, 1918.

To all whom t may conce/rn.'

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN H. PnL'roN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Santa Monica, inthe county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a Vave-Motor, of which the following isa full and complete specification.

My invention is an improvementfin motors of that particular' class which are designed for utilizing wave force in developing power economically that may be converted to a useful purpose, such as generating electricity, ctc.

One of the objects of my present invention is to provide a wave motor of this general character in which the paddle-wheel operated by the force of the incoming waves is supported in such manner that it will be automatically raised and lowered/coincident with the rise and fail of the tide, so that the paddles will receive the full propelling effect of each ,successive wave.

A further object of my invention is to provide a mechanism, for transmitting the power produced by the paddle-wheel, of such construction that it will impart a regular or constant motion to the driven wheel, as a belt-pulley, from which the power is taken for the. purpose of' operating an electric current generator or other machinery.

With these principal objects in View my invention consists in the construction of the motor, and the construction and arrangement of the apparatus by which the paddle-wheel, transmission mechanism and carriage shifting device are supported in a frame or carriage adapted to travel back and forth on an inclined track, whereby the motor will be supported stationary at the proper elevation above the body lof water and therefore not affected by the waves beyond the proper-application of the force of the same against the paddles to turn the paddlewheel in an lelective manner; all as hereinafter fullv described and specifically set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of a wave motor or power generating' apparatus constructed in accordance with'my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fi'. 3 is a 'sectional view througl'i the padde-wheel on a line with the main supporting shaft and including that of the Specification of Letters Pater E.

' Patented Dec, 31, i918.

serial no. saliese.

' the float device employed for automatically shifting the supporting carriage with respect to the approximate level of the body In carrying out my invention a runway or track is constructed to extend over the body of water out from the shore a suitable distance, and as the carriage supporting the wave motor and power converting mechanism travels back and forth on this track,

according to the ebb and iiow of the tide, the said track is preferably extended well be` yond the usual line of breakers so that theI waves will properly act on the paddleewheel. In the present instance the track or runway is constructed by driving into the bed of the ocean, or other body of water, two parallel rows of piles 10, supporting beams or stringere 11 upon which the railsin the form of rack-rails lil-are bolted or otherwise secured. In building this runway or track it is gradually inclined downward from its inner or shore end, at a one and a half per cent. grade, more or less, for the purpose hereinafter explained.

The carriage, which travels on this inclined track, is made up of longitudinal side beams 18, 13, supporting a platform v14 at the rear ends and connected at their forward ends by a transverse beam 15, a suthcient space being left between the platformand connecting beam to receive the paddle-wheel, hereinafter described, and the side beams are spaced apart to correspond with the width of the track so as to overlie the rack-rails 1Q, each beam having 1 number of toothed-wheels 16 in mesh with said rack-rails for supporting the carriage movable thereon and for holding the same firmly and stationary` against the force of the waves acting on the paddle-wheel. The toothed supporting-wheels are journaled in U-shape brackets 17, bolted or otherwise ses cured to the underside of the side beams 13, two of said wheels-at the opposite sides of the carriage and below the platform-being connected by a shaft 18, forming in the present instance a driving-shaft ,pose desired.

1,289,533 iig may be employed. The connection between the motor 56 and shaft 18 is by means of a belt 58 (Fig. 2) passing over a pulley 59 on said motor and a band-pulley 60 on said shaft. In Fig. 6 the diii'erent positions of the switch-lever are indicated by full and dotted lines; for as the tide falls the float also falls shifting the lever to the limit of its downward movement to start up the motor, say forward, and, conversely, when the tide rises the elevation of the float shifts said lever to the limit of its upward movement7 reversing the operation of the motor, the intermediate position of the switch-lever being the neutral position at which the carriage is held stationary after each operation of the float device. This arrangement therefore provides for shifting the apparatus back and forth on the inclined track coincident with the rise and fall of the tide; and, as will be noted, its operation-is entirely automatic and positive in effecting the desired result.

F rom the foregoing description of the construction and arrangement of the parts constituting my improved wave motor the operation will be readily understood, for the carriagebeing properly located on the inclined track with the paddle-wheel in po sition to receive the force of the waves said paddlewheel will be turned and the clutchmembers in connection therewith being in rictional engagement through the pressure ot the spring 32 against the collar to which the movable clutch member is fixed the strong spiral springs 35 attached to said collar will he wound up to a certain extent and then turn the gearwheel 3e from which the power' is transmitted through the train of gearing to the drivingpulley t7 connected to the generator 27, operating the latter to generate electric current for whatever pur Alfter the in'ipulseA of each Wave against one or more paddles, and before the succeeding wave reaches the paddlewheel, the wound springs 35 unwind to continue the motion ot the geariifheel 34 until the direct power of the paddle-wheel is again applied under the impulse of the succeeding wave, and so on. As the level of the sea (ih-anges under the intluence oi' the tide the float device operates automatically, in the manner liereinbetore described lto move the apparatus along,r the track so that it will, at all times, maintain its proper relation to the level 'of the sea,

Mv improved wave motor may be installed en the sea-ccas: at any point where elicctivc wave operation may be had, and as the driving impulses' are imparted by the torce ot recurring waves the operation is effected at little or no expense and without special attention, producing an economical power for commercial ases. ts application is not restricted to the sea-coast, for obviously it switch-lever, and means tor propelling' may be installed on the shore of any inland l stances where the body of Water is not at'- fected by tide it may not be necessar7 to incline the track.

I claim:

l, n a wave motor, the combination with a supporting-frame and shaft, of a paddle- Wheel 'mounted to revolve on the shaft. a friction clutch having a member attached to the paddle-wheel and a movable member. a governor spring pressing against the movable clutchemcmber. a spiral spring attached at one end to said movable member, and a gearivheel connected `rto the other end of said spiral spring; together with means for transmitting the motion of the ,seal-wheel to the operation of a machine.

2. In a wave motor, the combination ,with a supporting-frame and shaft. of a paddlewheel mounted to revolve on the shaft. a friction-clutch having a member attached to the paddle-wheel and a movable member carrying a sleeve, a spring pressing against the sleeve to effect resilient engagement ot the clutch members, means for regulating the pressure of the spring with respect to the movable clutch-member, spiral springs attached at their inner ends to the sleeve.`- and a gearwheel loose on the sleeve and connected to the outer ends of the spiral springs to receive rotary motion therefrom; together with means for transmitting; the motion of the gearwheel to the operation ot a machine.

3. ln a wave motor, the combination with an inclined track, of a carriage movable back and forth thereon, a paddle-wheel revoluble on a shaft mounted in the carriage, an electric-current generator., and means for driving said generator from the paddlewheel; means tor propelling the carriage from said motor, and a iioat device controlling the operation ot the driving-motor.

It. ln a wave motor, the combination with an inclined track, et a carriage movable back and Jforth thereon, a paddle-vvheel revoluble on a shaft mounted in the earring, an electric current generator, and means for driving said generator from the paddle wheel; together with an electric motor having a switchdever, a iioat device suspended from the carriage and connected to the carriage from the motor.

5. ln a Wave motor, the combination with an inclined track, ot a carriage movable back and forth thereon, a paddle-wheel mounted in the carriage for generating poiver from the force ot waves against the paddles, a motor driven from the paddlc-- wheel, means for propelling,r the carriage from the motor, and a tioat device snspen ded together with a driving-motor,

to the sie@ suppmfnu :revolb'lfe on a Shir?? mm und depending between Si@ receive the w@ .5, f v l {Eviction-dutch @ne mmbe nl' tachad to the paddlewvb el and me o member fast t0 a rsm'@ @L w rm ik@ Sha 1L im' -'ec'ng normal, @wlw-fammi', o

dich members,

me car .mech-,d

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